Jackie Saunders
"I have always been a fighter, but there are only so many times you can fight before you have to stop.." Jaclyn "Jackie" Saunders nicknamed "Saundy" was a former teacher at Gibbstown High before transferring to Begs and working along with Dr Quinton ,Kari Philips,HG , Phil and Kari, and Michelle. Jackie was given a second chance at teaching after snapping her ACL during a lesson. Jackie later quit from teaching and went back to Gibbstown. Jackie later died from complications from being wheelchair bound. Younger Career When Jackie was young she decided that she wanted to be a teacher and she wanted to help the young adults to get their mind around things and to be able to do things that other people couldn't or wouldn't dream of ever wanting to do. She decided to go into University and get her bachelor of teaching and be able to do things her way.Jackie spent a good time of her younger career on the sidelines due to being injury prone, which caused great annoyance for Damon the principal at the High School. Jackie was released from her contract at Gibbstown and she managed to get the Job she wanted in the PDHPE staffroom, down in Begs. More then expected After Quinton had his two weeks as Deputy Principal, Quinton found out why he didn't want to be a Deputy or the Principal. Quinton still had to take some paper work home every night. Quinton then said to Kari after she came home from her time as deputy while HG was away. "Never again.." "I agree! But I enjoy it." "I'm glad you do.." Quinton then kissed Kari and said "See you later." Kari smiled and said "You as well." Quinton decided he jog to school that morning. Quinton got into school just as HG pulled into the carpark. "HG your back?" Quinton said as he caught his breath."I am..This time no family issues.." "That's good to hear!" "Since when do you jog to work?" "Hardly ever.." Quinton then said "Kari is probably waiting.." Quinton then walked away and into the staffroom. Quinton then meet Kari in the staffroom and walked over to the tap. "Not trying that again." Quinton then sat down and said "Kari, I'm thinking of exchanging to QLD.." "Why?" "Change.. Look at me Kari, I've been here longer then most. I think it will be a good idea.." "Not just yet though." Quinton smiled and placed his laptop on the table. He looked through his emails and said "Kari...I have an e-mail from BTEC.." "Open it then.." Quinton opened it and started reading aloud. "Dearest Dr Quinton, it has come to our attention that you haven't received a teaching exchange for some time now and we would like you to respond to this message, as there is an opening in Gibbstown Qld.. A teacher recently took long service leave after tearing her ACL in a school PDHPE lesson. We were contacted and told she'd be out for some time, and we were hoping that you could take her place until she recovers. Yours truly Michael Bellic,BTEC.." Quinton then said "Do I take this or not?" Kari then said "On one condition Quinton. That lady comes here.." "To what...To teach? To teach what?" "PDHPE of course! I'll take her PE classes until she feels up to it.." Quinton then said "That is a good idea.." Quinton then wrote out his reply and said it out loud whilst typing. "I agree to help out at this school. But on these terms.. You tell that school, my way of teaching and how I run things.. Also the injured lady, takes my spot in the PD department, as the head of the department and I will agree to those terms.. Signed DrQ." Quinton then sent the message and got an immediate reply by phone call. "Hello?" "Yes.. Is this Dr Quinton?" "Speaking.." "It's Damon Jumper, the principal of Gibbstown High School, I've followed your NOL career and I was also a patient of yours as well. We agree to send Jackie Saunders down to Begs to fill in your position we await your arrival." "Me too." Quinton then put the phone down and rung the school's intercom system "Attention everyone.. There will be an assembly in 20 minutes to discuss a teaching exchange." Quinton then put the phone back down and turned around to see the injured PD teacher already at the door. "Jeeze you guys get here fast." Jackie chuckled and said "Yes we do.." Kari then walked back in from the classroom and said "Ah you must be Jackie!." Jackie smiled and said "Yes..I am.." Quinton then said "This is my wife.. Kari. There are two Kari's in the department. This Kari is the 2nd in charge of the department, the other is on holidays in Suva. Also there is HG, Me, Kari, Kari, Michelle and Rocket.. But we hardly see Rocket." Jackie then said "How are your knees Dr Quinton?" "Can't complain.. I had stem cell injections 3 times after the recent surgery around 4 months ago. To repair damage to my MCL.. But what about you how did you tear your ACL?" "Jogging with the kids around the oval.." "I haven't had the ACL repaired yet.." "I can do it for you.." "Are you sure?" "Very sure.. Just go up to the hospital and I'll get you back on your feet. Sooner rather then later.." Quinton later did the surgery for Jackie and Jackie was very happy with it and Quinton said "I hope you stay in Begs." "Quinton. I had a fallout with this injury.. It's the third time I've done something like this.. I'm about to get fired from Gibbstown, if I don't get my act together.." "You can't help having injuries. That's disgusting..It really is.." "I know." "I'll have a little chat with Jumper when I get there. Promise you, you can take over Rocket's job. Rocket transferred to Gibbstown 4 months ago.. So your in for him if you decide to stay." "That's great.. I think I might stay." Rising for Jackie Quinton had just come back from announcing that there would be an assembly. The bell then went for it and Quinton took the mic from HG and said "I want you all to be quiet. I want you all to meet new PDHPE teacher Miss Saunders from Gibbstown High, she will be working here now and one thing you all must know is...I want you to look out for her. Like you all worry about me. She is injury prone, and is right now healing from ACL surgery. I want you to welcome her with open arms and Rise of Jackie." A week later Quinton had a talk with Jackie. "How are you liking it here Jackie?" Jackie smiled and said "Very much. Thanks for saving my career.." "No matter how many times you see the inside of an ambulance and that operating room, there is nothing to be scared about. You keep on rolling." :I don't know how to do that like you.." "Fake a smile.. It brings one. I'm one of those teachers who is prepared to let my career go first before my health. I've been in hospital 10 times in the last year, concussion related things.. such as a cricket ball to the side of the head. I've been kept overnight, released and come to work, refusing a stand in. I've even come to work with the flu.." "You mustn't like stand ins.." "I don't when Kari isn't busy with a load I ask her to take my class in with hers. My classes are about 12 people hers is the same really." Quinton then said "Just remember though these kids show respect for all of us. There is a certain year full of little shits, so just ignore them. HG can deal with them." Finally Going Her Way "It's been such a long time since things have gone my way. Such a long time.." said Jackie to Kari. "Why is that?" Kari said in return. "Since I moved down here I've finally gotten past the injury problems, and I am finally enjoying teaching in such a long time! It's great." "Well, don't shank yourself. Quinton said that once and he snapped his MCL playing cricket on the oval.." "I'm not going to but I do love it here." "It's a close nit town and we all stand with each other. It's a wonderful town, no one knows what it's like to live in a town like this." "They prefer the city, big places.. Quite frankly I don't.. never did. It's the air, it stinks." "Yes but you want people to be there for you when no one else would be." The Harder It Gets It was a long year for Jackie, who again had to get surgery, this time on her back. Jackie may have been young but the injuries were taking there toll. Jackie was told by Dr Quinton to take everyday as it comes, but she ignored that and injured her back badly during a class. Jackie was later seen that day walking out of the school and into her car where she drove off. Quinton later found her and said to her "Saunders. I said to take it easy. This job takes a lot out of you." "No Quinton. I can't keep on doing this. I'm to injury prone to teach and I'm to injured to get a job anywhere else." Quinton then said "You wanna know something?" "What?" "I gave you every chance when Damon didn't. I allowed you to teach in the PD department when I knew you could've been fired for using me as a pawn for taking you on injury leave, and something else you didn't know was, we all had your back at that time. Everyone did. You just need to see you're not the only one injured in the department. Stop acting like you are!.." "Quinton.. It's harder then that because, I don't know where to go from here.. I might as well quit and move to the US.." "Don't say that to me.." "Why not?" "You don't know how many times I wanted to quit. I've been shot at, rebuilt, forced into 2 retirements and what keeps me going?" "Arrogance.." "No! Inspiration! You need some! And you need it soon.." "Quinton listen. It's not about you! This is about me! You need to get that, it's not always about you." "I never said anything was about me. But you are about to throw everything you worked so hard for." "Quinton. Stop. Just let things go my way for once. It's not about you bringing me back here and learning how to walk again. It's about me now. And it means that whatever I do is in my hands.. Not yours..." Quinton got up and said "Now just remember, retirement means a mutts life of nothing. If you want to go back to Gibbstown no-one is stopping you." "Are you sure? You're acting like it effects you.." "It doesn't matter anymore. I tried to get you healthy again.. And look what happened. You're walking away from all this.." "Please just stop Quinton." "I'm only trying to help you.." "This time it's not working. I've lost all chances of teaching, and being healthy." "Just remember.. We helped you out in a time of need. We gave you a place in the PDHPE department and we were your friends. So remember that we are the ones who saved your career as a whole." Quinton then walked away and Jackie was stumped, she knew it was time to give it all up. Quitting The Thing I Loved Jackie had been quiet since returning from her back problem and was during the meeting which took place during many Tuesdays. "Is their anyone else with news of anything?" said HG "Anything before we pack this up?" "Yeah, I do.." said Jackie. "I've handed in my resignation form and have decided to quit teaching.." Jackie's bombshell stunned everyone, but she knew it had to be done. "What made you do this.." said HG as he put down his coffee. "I just can't keep on going with injuries and days off, and asking one staff member to continue to take days off to help me heal. So I decided to return to Gibbstown." "We understand the decision. A very good choice at that. Thank you for your service and thank you for the experience you brought to the table." Jackie smiled and said "Thank You for giving me a second chance. All of you.." HG then said "Why may I ask, what made you quit?" "My health Hector. I cannot keep on going. I'm only young but it's taken it's toll." "We all understand." "We wish you luck on any future endeavor." Jackie smiled and stood up, she said her final goodbyes and walked out of the school, and to the airport. She returned home and saw Damon standing there. "Welcome back Jackie." "Thanks babe." Jackie and Damon embraced and kissed for a long time. Quinton's Truth bomb As Jackie was sitting in her backyard, she received a visitor. It was Quinton. "Someones dressed for success." "As always." Quinton sat down. "How you doing?" "Yeah. Not well." Quinton rolled his eyes and said "The words of a quitter." "Excuse me? I am broken. My body couldn't handle it Mr "I walked out of hospital after breaking my neck." I am not like you, my body just couldn't handle it anymore. "It could've lasted a lot longer. You came to Begs, injured and tired. You needed that change and you embraced it, what the hell happened." "I don't know." "What ever it was changed your perspective at the school. " The Long Road & Death For Jackie it was a long road to get to the age of 50, but it was getting harder for her to live on. For Jackie she had broken her back twice, and was confined to a wheelchair due to sickening leg injuries that caused infection after infection. Jackie had fought a long road but the last injury she suffered would be life threatening. She was admitted that night to hospital, after she had suffered a heart attack, because of being wheelchair bound. Jackie contacted her family and said not to wait for her, she also contacted Begs and said she was dying from a heart condition. As she was writing down her life down in a diary she said to her husband, "If life is ever this cruel, make sure you do this for everyone else. Teaching is the way of life and injuries just happen. I want you to call Begs and tell them of my situation, and tell them to be wary and not to mourn my death, just the same back in Gibbstown." As a phone call came through for Jack saying no one would be able to make it in time, because they were all busy and could not leave. but Jackie didn't mind because it meant something to her. It was several hours later that she died of complications due to being chair bound. This news spread fast down to Begs. Jackie was finally at rest. The news spread fast to Gibbstown and Damon was shattered by the news. Legacy "The news of her death, quickly spread. We knew she was injury prone and chair bound but this was the fight that caused her to belittle those around her. She wanted to be healthy but it was the thing she couldn't do because she was to occupied in being healthy, and fighting with her own body was slowly killing her and she was doing the best she could to stay in her job. She quit after 4 years at Begs and went back home to Gibbstown. We didn't have contact when she left, but when she called us to tell us she was dying, it sent shockwaves through our staff members and the students. When the news came that she'd finally passed, we all knew she was at rest she wasn't in anymore pain. It was the way she probably would have wanted it.She was now at rest with her body and her life and the pain would no longer exist. We knew how much pain she was always in, but to hear how it ended was the saddest thing ever in all humanity. Because she was in so much pain it was hard to see her as anybody else. And seeing someone in that much pain isn't something we like to see or what anyone else should go through. I think in the end, we all shared her pain, her colleagues from far away and those from home." - Kari in an extract of a news story. As the news rocked the Begs Teaching area, the school decided to allow a day of mourning for Jackie. Quinton then said "I guess she was really right about her health. She really was hanging on to a pray. It was just another day for her I guess." HG then said "No Quinton, actually she was wheelchair bound 4 months after she left, because she severed nerves in her legs from an accident. She suffered a heart attack from being chair bound. It just happened Quinton, not to mention her lack of wanting to be fit again." Kari then said "She wanted to be fit again, but it didn't happen. It doesn't come overnight.. And as a PE teacher we should know that spinal and nerve injuries are always going in a way different to our own." Jackie left a legacy at Gibbstown and was given a football game named after her. Jackie's legacy and an empty chair left with her emptiness. Trivia * PLEASE NOTE. THIS IS PURE FICTION, AND ALL CHARACTERS AND EVENTS IN THIS EDIT ARE NOT REAL. THIS IS PURE FICTION, AND NO ONE WAS TRULY HURT. * Jackie died of the effects of being chairbound * Jackie returned to Gibbstown after quitting Begs